The game of baseball and softball requires advanced skills for outstanding performance. Outstanding performance as a batter requires being a complete hitter. A complete hitter will consistently select to swing at pitches that are accurately perceived to track into his or her hitting zone. Compared to an average batter, a complete hitter will more often make solid contact with swung-at pitches in the hitting zone and partial contact with swung-at pitches trailing out of the hitting zone. A complete hitter is capable of hitting the baseball to a desired area on the field. Becoming a complete hitter requires enhanced and sharpened baseball visual tracking skill training.
Outstanding performance in throwing the baseball (and softball), whether as a pitcher or position player, requires throwing a baseball effectively. Throwing a baseball effectively includes consistently throwing a baseball accurately with appropriate speed. Outstanding pitchers can consistently pitch a baseball to a desired area relative to the strike zone. Outstanding position players can throw a baseball to a desired target on the field. Often, pitchers first learn to throw a baseball effectively by pitching a fastball. Often, position players first learn to throw a baseball in a fastball-like manner. Throwing a baseball effectively typically requires extensive form, accuracy, and speed training.
Many prior training devices are intended to provide skill enhancement for hitting a baseball. Some training devices are specifically directed at enhancing the skill of tracking the baseball. Few of these tracking training devices are adaptations of a conventional baseball only as the training method. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,991,838 issued to Groves; U.S. Pat. No. 5,607,152 issued to Strassburger; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,711,725 to Bengtson all apply designs, markings, or a plurality of indicia on the outside surface of a conventional baseball with intent for a batter to better track the baseball.
Many prior training devices known to provide skill enhancement for throwing a baseball are directed toward pitching only. Some of these pitching training devices are adaptations of a conventional baseball only as the training method. Examples include U.S. Pat. No. 2,925,273 issued to Pratt; U.S. Pat. No. 6,663,519 issued to Kuhn; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,991,838 issued to Groves.
While these disclosures may be useful, they do not adequately address the need for enhanced tracking of a thrown baseball as it enters into a batter's hitting zone through the contact point with the bat. These disclosures also do not address the need for immediate feedback to the pitcher, catcher, and instructor for throwing a baseball effectively; specifically with pitchers pitching a two-seam or four-seam fastball and with position players throwing a baseball in a four-seam fastball-like manner.